Milk Chocolate and Caramel Chip Cookies

I have been wanting to make some home made cookies for a couple weeks...and I finally decided to browse the baking aisle for inspiration. I found little caramel chips...and the light bulb light up! I also used milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet. I personally like the milk chocolate ones better.

These cookies turned out delicious! Nice and crisp on the edges and a soft in the center. The caramel and chocolate combo was sooooo soooo good! You could also add walnuts or pecans if you'd like. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons hot water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup caramel chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a mixer, cream the sugars and butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and add to mixture. Then add salt. Mix together. Stir in the flour one cup at a time then mix in chocolate and caramel chips.

Spoon onto a cookie sheet. TIP: use parchment paper. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Make sure you keep an eye on them so they don't burn. The edges should be a slight golden color. Cookies will continue to bake while they cool because of the hot sugar in them.

Cheers!
CC

Broccoli, Mushroom, Cheese Chicken Roll Up

This chicken turned out so so so good! Better than I imagined it in my head! Made by rolling up chicken with broccoli, mushrooms, and cheese...a creamy mushroom sauce...and served atop white rice (or brown rice). Yum! For portion control, after the chicken is cooked, I cut the breasts in half...so this recipe would serve 4 adults. Making the chicken this way, it turns out so juicy!

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, pounded thin
• 1 bunch of broccoli, cut up
• 1 package mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup cheese, shredded (cheddar and jack)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (10.75 oz)
• 1/2 can milk (use the soup can)
• Chicken stock
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Mrs. Dash (original)
• Season salt
• Black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an 8x8 baking dish, pour in 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Pound chicken breasts thin then poke several times with a fork. TIP: Place chicken loosely in plastic wrap then pound it this (keeps from having raw chicken juice all over the kitchen). Sprinkle with spices. Place some cheese, broccoli, and mushrooms on top, then roll and place in baking dish. You will have cheese, mushrooms and broccoli left over to use in the sauce. Splash on a little Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with spices. Top with half of the remaining mushrooms. Bake 30 minutes, basting with chicken stock halfway through cooking time.

 Use the flat side of the pounder

Nice and thin!

Spices and cheese

Veggies on top!

All rolled up

Rolled, spiced, and mushroomed :) Now just bake it!

To make sauce...mix soup, milk, splash of chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce, and pepper in a sauce pan. Dump in the remaining broccoli and mushrooms. Heat on medium low for about 15 minutes. You do not want it to boil. Stir often. 2 minutes before the cooking time ends, add in remaining cheese.

Serve atop rice and you have a fabulous dinner!

Cheers!
CC

Cupcake Designs

These cupcakes came before I started this blog. But I wanted to share them because they turned out so well!

These first ones I made for my sister's beach themed bridal shower. I used Dunkin Hines cake mix and frosting. For the frosting, I used a cookie press to squirt onto the cupcakes, spray painted the blue on with spray food coloring (you can get it at Micheal's), used brown sugar for the sand, and topped with sea shells I made with candy melts and candy molds (also purchased at Micheal's). For the marbled look of the shells, you pour chocolate into the mold, then white chocolate and gently swirl. This also looks good with pink and white candy melts.

These one's I did for my daughter's 1/2 (6 month) birthday. They are very simple, but still cute. It was an animal theme so I made animal chocolates from candy molds, used animal print cupcake liners. Simple but cute...especially since she couldn't eat them anyway.

These ones...I cannot take credit for. My sister made them for my Dr. Seuss themed baby shower. But she did such a great job...I wanted to share! The ones with blue cotton candy on top had little stickers that said "thing 1" and "thing 2." The others had various characters that she had printed using edible ink. If anyone wants to know how it was done just comment below and I will ask her.

Super Simple Homemade Iced Blended Coffee

I love love love frappaccinos. BUT....not working anymore has made those little extras something I go without. Let's face it, spending $7 or ore a day on one coffee drink adds up when you are on a budget. So I figured out a super easy and still yummy way to make my favorite summer splurge at home and save a bundle!

When I brew coffee, I always make just enough for my one morning cup, but a lot of people brew extra and never use it. So this is a great way to use that coffee! You will freeze the coffee into an ice cube tray. One tray will make 1 large cup of blended coffee.

Ingredients:

• Coffee (your favorite flavor will work well)
• Water
• Liquid Creamer (in your favorite flavor)

Brew coffee as normal. For 1 large cup, you need 2 cups of coffee. I've noticed people brew their coffee differently...but if you have never brewed coffee before...this is what I do...for each 1 cup of water used, I use one heaping tablespoon of coffee grounds.  Adjust from there if you like your coffee stronger or weaker. :)

Pour coffee into an ice cube tray and freeze.

Pour cubes into a blender and add about 1/2 to 1 cup creamer (depending on how creamy you like it). Blend. Pour into a cup with a straw and enjoy!

I used vanilla flavored coffee and vanilla nut flavored Coffee Mate....but you can use any flavor for this or even add a little chocolate milk mix for a mocha.

Cheers!
CC